Days pa.s.sed.

Looking at the small courtyard which was so simple and warm, Yan Yan started learning the basics of martial arts. Zhong Qing smiled and looked at the former prince of Imperial Palace.

"Well, I"m so happy that the body of this kid become much bigger and healthier now than before! His appet.i.te is pretty good compared then. Seeing his healthy body makes me happy… but there seems to be something wrong with the royal kitchen room today?”

Or maybe it"s the food ingredients? It seems like they"re something more than before?" Zhong Qing thought.

——

Beside the kitchen window, there were 2 cooks chopping and cooking while chatting, “The empress takes so many orders for this."

“No, this perch sea cuc.u.mbers are transported last night in the Palace. I heard that the Royal Niangnu sent it to the Palace for the celebration of the blossoming of the Peony. For them it is a big event because it happens once in a lifetime only. The last blossoming of Peony was seen before the Yin period."

Zhong Qing heard the conversation between the cooks and found it funny.

This was one of the traditions that began since the Yin dynasty and then pa.s.sed on to the Duc Royal, the recent family in the Imperial Palace. This was a tradition which needed to be celebrated when the Peony began to blossom. For their own beliefs, it was a blessing.

Zhong Qing never met the Empress nor any of the family of the Duc Royal, but she can sense that the family in the Imperial Palace had no spirit.

In other words, this family was living by their own selfish desires, greedily.

"How could it be everybody"s blessing if only the Emperor and Empress will benefit from those foods and things while the ordinary people don"t and can"t afford those? Tsk. Those greedy humans." Zhong Qing thought while getting food for Yan Yan.

Several cook were busy preparing the food for the celebration. They no longer care if Zhong Qing will get some food because there were too many ingredients and food on the table for the celebration so they won"t easily notice it.

"Well, this bird"s nest soup is pretty good and I heard that there is a new meat that is so tender and delicious which the chef is cooking now. There is a white flower cake made by a chef too." Zhong thought.

Yan Yan’s lunch was almost settled. Zhong Qing needed to go back to the courtyard.

Yan Yan practiced the whole set of books of basic martial arts that was given by Zhong Qing to him when suddenly he stopped and looked subconsciously towards the courtyard far across him.

At a glance, it seemed like he saw something like a half-lying, half-witted tree in the courtyard.

He closed his eyes. He rubbed his eyes. He opened his eyes and saw a tree. The tree was dead. Then, suddenly, Peony sister came and showed up.

Unexpectedly, she came from the withered tree all of a sudden like pulling out from the bud… And the dead tree became alive again.

He didn"t know what kind of magic she was using but for Yan Yan, it was an incredible thing.

"Thinking about her magical ident.i.ty, I feel nothing to be alarmed about." Yan Yan thought.

Zhong Qing suddenly opened her eyes, looked directly at Yan Yan, and waved at him, “What do you want to eat for lunch?”

Yan Yan casually said, “I"ll be good with anything.”

Zhong Qing began to frown because she noticed from his action that there was something wrong. She, then, said, "Although, you are an undemonstrative kid who doesn"t easily reveal his preferences, please.. I want you to put down this att.i.tude for me. How will you learn if you don"t want to communicate with me? If you don"t say your thoughts and opinion?"

She sighed, looked at Yan Yan’s eyes, and said earnestly, “I will not hurt you. I just hope that there is at least one place where you can show your truest self without any hesitation.”

Yan Yan remained silent.

Zhong Qing"s heart suddenly felt some frustration, although she successfully softened the heart of Yan Yan. But still, the child"s mind, still he"ll never let her know.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” she whispered.

“And when you’re strong enough, I’ll leave. Don’t worry, n.o.body will know your weakness. " Zhong Qing added.

She was meant to comfort Yan Yan, but never thought that it seemed to poke a hornet’s nest.

The child suddenly looked up, his eyes fixed looking directly at Zhong Qing and fiercely said, “You want to leave?”

Zhong Qing nodded.